The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible
New Testament
Read each verse in English beside its African Kalanga equivalent.
Luke 16English
Luka 16African Kalanga
- English1
Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions.
African KalangaJesu kabudza badiyiwa babe kati, “Kwakabe kuna mmwe nlume we mfumi ana ntjengeti wakatjetiwa kuunli, kuyi unotjinya thundu ya tetshi uwe.
- English2
So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
African KalangaNdizo kan'dana, kambhuzwa kati, ‘Ini ikoku kwandinowha ne kuko kene? Undibikile nekwe butjengeti gugo, ngobe autowoyendilambeli uli ntjengeti.’
- English3
“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg–
African KalangaNtjengeti iwoyo kaalakana ali ega eti, ‘Ndowothamani wali? Tetshi wangu unondidusa mu n’hingo. Andizosima kwandingatsha kakale ndina honi dze kumbila.
- English4
I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
African KalangaNdoziba tjandinowothama kuti ndizo nditi ndilahikigwa ne n’hingo pano, banhu bandiamutjile mu mizi yabo.’
- English5
“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’
African Kalanga“Ndizo kadana mmwe ne mmwe wakabe ana nlandu kuna tetshi uwe. Kabhuzwa we kutanga kati, ‘Una nlandu ngapani kuna tetshi wangu kene?’
- English6
“ ‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. “The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.’
African KalangaKadabila eti, ‘Gabha le mafuta anobhika ali zana (100).’ Ntjengeti kambva kati, ‘Tola lukwalo gugo gwe milandu ugale pasi ukwale tjinyolotjo, makumi ali mahanu (50).’
- English7
“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “ ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
African KalangaIpapo kabhuzwa mmwe kati, ‘Ngono iwe una nlandu ungapani?’ Kadabila eti, ‘Whomo dze mapfunde dzili zana ling'ompela (100).’ Kambva kati, ‘Tola lukwalo gugo gwe milandu ukwale makumi ali hhanakadzi (80).’
- English8
“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light.
African Kalanga“Tetshi kakudza ntjengeti usina malebeswa, ngobe ahinga ne butjenjebvu. Banhu be hango iyeyi bakatjenjela mu kuhingidzana, kupinda banhu be tjedza.”
- English9
I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.
African KalangaNdomubudza nditi, “Muzwithamile makamu ne fumwa isakalulwama, kuti ndizo ha yapela mowoamutjigwa mu magalo asingapele.
- English10
“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.
African KalangaIye unogalikabgwe muna zwitukununu unogalikabgwe muna zwikulu, na iye usingagalikebgwe muna zwitukununu, aatogalikabgwe muna zwikulu.
- English11
So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
African KalangaNdizo ha musakabe mugalikabgwe mu kuhingisa fumwa isakalulwama, ndiani unowomugalabgwe mu kuhingisa fumwa ye malebeswa kene?
- English12
And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
African KalangaKakale ha musakabe mugalikabgwe muna zwe bamwe, ndiani unowomupa zwinowobe zwenyu.
- English13
“No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
African Kalanga“Akuna nlanda ungahingila botetshi babili. Ungabva ebenga mmwe wabo, kada mmwe wabo, kene kabhatilila mmwe wabo, kalamba mmwe wabo. Aungahingile kose Ndzimu ne fumwa.”
- African Kalanga
Bafarisi, ibo bakabe beda mari bakawha kose ikoku, ngono bakaseka Jesu mahanya.
- English15
He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.
African KalangaKoga Jesu kati kubali, “Imwi mu ibo banozwilulwamisa mu meho e banhu, koga Ndzimu unoziba mimoyo yenyu, zwinokudziwa mu banhu zohemesa mu meho e Ndzimu.
- English16
“The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
African Kalanga“Whalo dze nlayo ne dze balebesambeli dzakahingisiwa kuswikila Johani ehha. Tjinga kwa ipapo, ndebo mbuya ye buhe gwe Ndzimu inosumikigwa, ngono mmwe ne mmwe unogwisa ne masimba kungina muguli.
- English17
It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.
African KalangaKulelu kuti kudzimu ne hango zwipinde, pakuti kulahike hanga ing'ompela ye nlayo, kene ili nhukununu kungapani.
- English18
“Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery, and the man who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
African Kalanga“Iye unolamba nkadzi uwe elobola mmwe nkadzi, unothama bupombgwe, na iyebo nlume unolobola nkadzi wakalambiwa, unothama bupombgwe.”
- English19
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day.
African Kalanga“Kwakabe kuna mmwe nlume we mfumi, akaambala ngubo ye mbala we buhaba gwakabondelela ne jila lakanaka le themba ipehhugwi, ngono ethama mizano ye zodliwa mahhuba wose egala ali mu pepkhwe.
- African Kalanga
Pa nkoba we nzi uwe kwakabe kuli lele n’hayi unodang'wa Lazaro, ali hhele malonda,
- English21
and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
African Kalangangono eyemula dla mamburumburu e zodliwa anowa mu tafuli ye nfumi ne mbgwa dumbu dzakahha dzikanazwa malonda awe.
- English22
“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried.
African Kalanga“N’hayi iwoyo kafa, ngono batumwa be kudzimu bakansengela pa fuba tja Abhurahama. Nlume wakafuma na iye kafa ngono kabiganyiwa.
- English23
In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
African KalangaKati ali mu bugalo gwe bafi, kwaakabe ali mu kudziyila kukulu, kamilidza meho kabona Abhurahama ali kule kule, ana Lazaro, pa fuba tjitje.
- English24
So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
African KalangaNdizo kaamba kati, ‘Tate Abhurahama, mundiwhile ngoni, mutume Lazaro abvubike nheswi ye tjinyala tjitje mu vula, atonhodze lulimi gwangu, ngobe ndimu kuwha zogwadza kukulu mu moto iwoyu.’
- English25
“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
African Kalanga“Koga Abhurahama kadabila eti, ‘Nkololo wangu, kumbula kuti mu butjilo gugo wakawana zwinhu zwizo zwakanaka, koga sa ikoko Lazaro kawana zwakayipa, ndizo ngwenu, unonyaladziwa pano, iwe umu kuwha zogwadza kukulu kulu.
- English26
And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
African KalangaPehhugwi kwa ikoku kose, pakati kwedu nawe, kuna gorokoro gulu linodzibila banohaka hha ikoko bebva ngeno, kene banohaka hha kutili bebva ikoko.’
- African Kalanga
Kahandula eti, ‘Ngono ndomukumbila tate, kuti mutume Lazaro, ayende ku ng'umba ya tate bangu,
- English28
for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
African Kalangangobe ndina bakololo ba tate bangu bali bahanu. Ngaanobatjenjedza, kuti ndizo basihhebo ku bugalo igogu gwe kuwha zogwadza.’
- African Kalanga
“Koga Abhurahama kadabila kati, ‘Bana Mushe ne balebesambeli ngabawhe ibo.’
- English30
“ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
African KalangaKoga kati, ‘Aa, Tate Abhurahama, ha mmwe unobva mu bafi angayenda kubali, banowohandukila matjinyo abo.’
- English31
“He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
African KalangaAbhurahama kati kuunli, ‘Ha basingawhilile Mushe ne balebesambeli, abangawhilile kene mmwe angamuka mu bafi.’ ”
Source: The English-Kalanga Bilingual Language Learning Bible, Ndzimu-unami Emmanuel Moyo, 2026. This online edition was extracted and reformatted from the PDF edition. Licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.